E-Paper
Singer Pawan Singh out of race, estranged wife to contest Bihar election
The party affiliation and constituency under which Jyoti will contest are yet to be decided
Jyoti Singh, the estranged wife of Bhojpuri actor and BJP leader Pawan Singh, will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, her father Rambabu Singh said on Sunday. Rambabu said that the people have developed a close connection with Jyoti and that the party affiliation and constituency are yet to be decided.
Speaking to reporters at his residence, Rambabu Singh said his daughter's decision to contest the Bihar polls is final, “From which seat and under which party banner, or as an Independent candidate, will be decided soon,” he said.
There is a strong public demand that she should contest the Karakat seat (in Rohtas district), he added. This is the seat from where Pawan Singh was reported to be in the fray for the BJP ticket, before he opted out apparently due to the conteroversy over his marital dispute with Jyoti.
Jyoti's father also said that the people of Karakat have developed a close relationship with her when she campaigned for Pawan Singh during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The 243-member Bihar assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.
The announcement about Jyoti comes at a time when a dispute is brewing within the family, with Rambabu accusing Pawan Singh of “cruelty” and “dishonesty.”
Rambabu has alleged that the actor-singer refused all reconciliation efforts to continue with his marriage to Jyoti. “I folded my hands and begged him to accept my daughter, but he only pointed to the court. Until the divorce is legally finalised, Jyoti has every right to live with her husband,” Rambabu said.
Pawan Singh reportedly told Rambabu that the matter would now be settled in court.
Meanwhile, speculation has intensified in the political circles after Jyoti recently met Jan Suraaj Party leader and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, triggering talks of a possible alignment with the party.
While official confirmation is still awaited, political observers see Jyoti’s potential entry as a high-profile addition to Bihar's election landscape, given her connection to one of Bhojpuri cinema's biggest stars.
(With inputs from PTI)
